Welcome to Someone Buy This!, a monthly shopping column featuring the fun, the frivolous, and the practical from a very discerning shopper.

One of life’s small but reliable pleasures is when someone enthusiastically asks me where I got literally anything I own. My personal style, both in my closet and my home, revolves around the unexpected. I love mixing fancy, pricier items with something from the Target $1 section. When I’m shopping for something I often buy what I deem to be the most delightfully annoying version of it in existence. I absolutely live for a loud color or pattern. Applying this rule to my home is one of the many ways I find joy . So, today I bring you some ideas to bring some unexpected fun to what is arguably the darkest and most boring room in your home: the bathroom.

As someone with a rare (in New York City, at least) windowed shower, I love that this curtain, from Instagram-famous Quiet Town lets in natural light while still dividing the space. I am a proud owner of this shower curtain. It’s definitely the most remarked-upon thing in my bathroom when guests come over. Quiet Town has beautiful single and two-tone transparent shower curtains made out of an easy to clean EVA material. If you’re not into transparency (suspicious, but fine), type literally anything into the society6 search bar and you will find the shower curtain of your dreams or nightmares or both!

If you have the counter space to spare, a catch-all tray is a must. You can opt for the Instagram-favorite bathing lady tray, which comes in a variety of colors. You can dial up the whimsy and get this hand tray for your rings, bobby pins and other bathroom countertop knick-knacks. This more understated iridescent tray will get the job done, too. I also love this cup from Austin-based Tak Tak and think it’d make a great toothbrush holder.

There is truly nothing worse than an always-damp memory foam bath mat. Why do so many people own these? No offense…but if I see this in someone’s bathroom I will judge. A fun bath mat is an easy, low commitment way to brighten up the bathroom, and no one makes ‘em like Cold Picnic. Their quick-drying low-pile mats come in great colors and prints. What’s your vibe? Shapes? Boobs? Butts? How about all three? There’s something for everyone. These bath mats don’t require special care. You can throw them in the washing machine and the dryer, or let them air dry. If butts aren’t your thing, try a bath mat that looks like a mini Persian rug… or an alligator! 

A very easy way to spruce up your sad bathroom is with some bold towels. These swirly but neutral options from Dusen Dusen and Marimekko are nice, soft entries into the Party Towel Universe without being too loud. If you’re ready to go full Sicko Mode, try this multi-colored Dusen Dusen set or this wiggly print from Baggu. But don’t worry—you don’t have to ditch your current towels if you love them! I’ve kept my beloved white waffle bath sheets and mixed them with printed hand and face towels. Target makes decent dupes of these, but they’re regular bath towel-sized, not bath sheets.

When’s the last time you looked at a plunger and smiled? When’s the last time you looked at a plunger and felt anything but dread? Staff is a small brand that popped up during the pandemic when its founder, Michael Weisman, sought to make the functional but otherwise boring products in his home more fun. I have opened and closed tabs for both the plunger and the toilet bowl cleaner several times over the last year. The only reason I haven’t purchased either of them is because I can’t decide on a color. The jewel tones and goofy little face printed on the handle really crack me up.

Bathroom storage tends to feel sterile and boring. This wiggly wall shelf comes in two lengths and is deep enough to hold everything from beauty products to extra toilet paper. These plastic storage crates are great for organizing items on shelves, in your cabinets or in your shower if the ledge is big enough. These also fold flat and are easy to store when they’re not in use.

If you are a bath person you need to buy this tray immediately, I got this as a gift early in the pandemic when baths became one of like three ways I could pass the time. This tray is functional, beautiful and takes up virtually no space. You can just lean it up against the wall when you’re not using it. Light a few candles (I buy these in bulk, they’re great mood candles!), use a couple of scoops of these CBD bath salts and get ready for the most relaxing hour of your life.

If you have the wall space, consider some fun, pop culture-inspired art. Bravo fans should check out Laura Collins, who paints and sells prints of Real Housewives pointing at things, Andy Cohen reacting and more. I really need someone to buy this still from the iconic Bridesmaids bathroom scene, which someone on Etsy edited to make it look like an oil painting.

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